Paper Cuts
by lithium1
Summary: {Cleris}How would FFVII end if Aeris hadn't died? Read to find out! CloudxAeris with no Tifa bashing.


Papercuts.  
  
I DO nOt OwN FInaL fANtaSy vIi. Duh.  
  
  
  
As the unholy form of Sephiroth disappears in front of us I know what is coming. Nothing. The end. I can't tell the others, I can't do that to them, but I know Aeris knows. I close my eyes and reach for her hand and hold it tight. I know I have to tell them.  
  
I look around and see them all. We're all so different and we've all been so through so much together and now it all ends. And what do we get, what have we achieved? Nothing. We all die. We all lose. Sephiroth was right. Hojo was right. I'm just a failer and I can't help anyone, not even myself.  
  
Everyone just stares at me expecting me to say something like "We've won, lets go home and live happily ever after!" or some crap like that. But I can't, not this time. Well at least Sephiroth didn't win, at least he doesn't get the planet. This is it, I have to tell them the truth. I stare at my feet to avoid eye contact with the people I've been working with for the last year. The people who opened me up from the cold-hearted soldier I was. The people who stuck by me during the manipulation of my body and mind. The people who continued to risk their lives by my side when they themselves got nothing. The people who, in each of their own ways, became my friends.became my family.  
  
"We defeated Sephiroth.this is all we could do for the planet, there's nothing more we can do.go home proud," I say slowly. I look up and see Barret facing me. He nod's and for a brief moment looks proud of me, and leaves. Cid, Cait Sith, Yuffie, Tifa and Red XIII follow on walking sadly, trying not to look back. I see Vincent facing me. Vincent is.weird. My best friend, but never the less weird. He stares at me through blood red eyes, and nods. "Fare thee well," he says turning his back and walking off. I turn around and see there is only one person left with me.  
  
"Aren't you going?" I ask.  
  
"Go where? I don't have a home Cloud." she answers with tears in her eyes.  
  
I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her and hold her close like I never want to let go. We stay like that for a long time holding each other. And then I feel it and stumble back holding my head.  
  
"Cloud.are you okay?" Aeris asks looking at me worriedly.  
  
"Sephiroth.ugh.he's.still here.laughing at.me," I manage to stutter out.  
  
I shake my head, trying to think straight. If Sephiroth's still here.no, he's not. Where is he? Lifestream? He's in the Lifestream, and there's only one way to get there.is it worth it? I look at Aeris. I can be with her just a little longer and let Sephiroth take this planet.her planet, or I can kill Sephiroth, leave a little before the rest of the planet does and kill Serhiroth.for her, for everyone. I look at her once again and smile. She looks confused.  
  
"I love you Aeris, don't forget that," I say to her before jumping down the side towards the hard rock ground below me.  
  
I feel my spirit leave my body. I feel myself moving through the lifestream, through the green. I can tell I'm not dead.yet. After a while I don't know where the hell I am. Them I see him in front of me, standing with that look on his face, that look that took every thing away from me. The look that forever mocked me, the look that almost destroyed me. My whole existence is for your amusement... And I can't take it anymore. I run forward, sword in hand and slash him. And I slash him again and again and again. And when I stop he bleeds. I gasp for breath as he fades into the dark blanket of death and I follow behind.  
  
I sit up, heavily wounded, and covered in blood. Aeris is sitting next to me but I don't look round, I don't know if I can take it.  
  
"You should go," I say, still not looking around. The cave is falling in around us and a small ray of light enters at the top of the cave and allows my to see my surroundings. I feel the blood pour from my cracked ribs and the corner of my mouth. The sound of the falling rocks is so loud now it hurts my ears. I guess this is it. I rap my torn bloody arms around Aeris for what will be the last time. Neither of us speak. Even if we did the sound of the cave-in would drown out our words. Then the noise becomes deafening and more rocks fall down, barley missing us. Then something too big to be a rock falls down directly above us.and stops. It takes me a few seconds to realise what it is.the airship! Cid and Barret jump down and Aeris gets onto the ship. Barret and Cid help me up and pull me aboard the Highwind. The airship suddenly jerks and fly's out the cave. Everyone is holding on to each other trying to say on the ship. Well, we get out.  
  
Below us the earth is shaking and in the sky is metor, closer than every. The heat is so intense.parts of the metor are tearing up the Earth.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Cid says breaking the silence.  
  
Everyone just stares up at the fiery sky except Barret who starts launching every thing he has at the ball of fire. It doesn't even dent the surface. Parts of the metor are hitting the Highwind now. We all move about dodging the debris and fire while attacking it with everything. Cid is sitting at the controls firing missiles, rockets and every weapon the ship. Tifa, Aeris, Yuffie and Cait Sith are firing magic at it. Bolt, Ice, Fire, anything. Yuffie is even throwing shurikens at it. Barret uses his gun arm to shoot it. I try to focus. Ultima is the only thing strong enough to even dent it. I need to focus.but I see a beam of fire come towards me. I can't move in time, it comes straight at me.and then Vincent jumps in the way. I move just as it rips through his chest and he drops dead on the ground. Everyone stops in shock and walk over to Vincent's dead body, except me. I couldn't care less, I know what will happen.  
  
"Cloud! Vincent just died to save you and you don't even care!!" Tifa yells at me angrily.  
  
I launch an Ultima and say, "move away from him."  
  
As I do he stands up as if he is fine, but there is no colour in his eyes. Through the neat hole in his heart light starts pouring out. He levitates slightly as he puts his head back and clenches his fists. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" he screams in pain as everyone steps back. Blood and light surround his body and although he tries to fight it he screams, "LET HELL'S JUSTICE BE DONE!! as he transforms from his human body into the form of Chaos. The jet black demon stands with its massive leathery bat-like wings protecting it.  
  
"Chaos!" I yell, "Help me!"  
  
I have seen Chaos before..it's seen me. Vincent still seemed to have some control. It started attacking the metor furiously with its claws, scythe and unholy powers. Even with its awesome power the metor continued to come closer. Everyone carries on fighting and Barret and Yuffie are knocked down. As the metor comes closer, one by one everyone is knocked down. They aren't unconscious, just to weak to move. I get hit by a flying rock and get knocked of the ship. I grab the rail and I hang over the edge. As I look onto the deck, Chaos falls and the only person standing is Aeris. She has no magic left and I can see a stream of blood and tears falling silently down her face. She stares up at metor.it's so close now. Then something happens. Like just before Vincent transformed, she rose of the ground and green light surrounded her. The only difference was that she was controlling it, unlike Vincent. I pull myself onto the deck and see what is happening. Pure holy energy seemed to be coming out of. I swear for a second I see feathered wings on her back. And then it happens. From the ground below Lifestream rises up towards Aeris. Aeris seems to control it and it flies towards the metor and wraps around it. I that instant the extreme heat disappears and debris stops flying at the Earth and us. And then the lifestream disappears and the metor is no longer there. Aeris falls to the floor as the airship falls from the sky.  
  
I wake up under a pile of rubble. I push it of my self and stand up. Well, the planet is still here and metor isn't. Then I remember. Aeris.she summoned Lifestream somehow. I look around and spot her lying injured on a un-identifiable piece of broken airship. I knell next to her and she is still barley conscious. I pick her up in my arms and stand up.  
  
"You did it," I say smiling down at her and then kiss her.  
  
"Oh.I'm glad." she says before passing out. I carry her across the rubble to look for the others. I spot Chaos. He looks pretty banged up. All his wings are torn and there are deep scars over his body. I kick him and he comes out of his unconsciousness. He looks up and stands.  
  
"C'mon, help me find the others," I say. "I must return now.I am to weak to stay in this realm, but I shall return." he explains and is replaced by the form of Vincent.  
  
"You okay Vinny?"  
  
"Fine.let's find the others," he answers. He seems to know what happened.  
  
"Hey!!" I hear Yuffie call happily and she runs up to us as the others followed.  
  
"Well we all okay?" Barret states.  
  
"Is Aeris okay?" Tifa asks.  
  
"Yeah," I say as I look down at her, "she's fine."  
  
"An' Vin, what about ya? That was sum serious shi't ya pulled of back there?" Barret asks.  
  
"Fine," Vincent muttered.  
  
"What was that anyway?" Cait Sith asks him.  
  
"Anger control disorder," he mutters as a reply.  
  
"Oh."  
  
We walk over to the nearest town, Icy Village, to rest. In the hotel lounge Aeris wakes to fine us surrounding her. "What happened?" she asks confused. "Ya did some holy crap and saved us all!" Cid says. Well that's one way to put it. "You used your holy materia and summoned life stream. It completely destroyed metor and saved the planet," I say explaining better that Cid. "Oh."she says as her memory comes back to her and hug's me happily. "Well.we should have party!" Yuffie demands.  
  
I think of Sephiroth. Gone. Forever. I think back to the words that echoed through my head in the lifestream.My whole existence is for your amusement. But I still have managed to kill him.and that is why I'm here with you, Aeris, forever. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
(Uh, okay. That was my first fanfic. Review if you can be bothered. Should I write more? No, cause I suck!!! CloudxAeris forever)  
  
Weird title, I know. Has nothing to do with the actual story. Er, I basically called it that because the lines I put in that went "My whole existence is for your amusement and that is why I'm here with you" are from the Nirvana song Paper Cuts. (R.I.P Kurt)  
  
If I write anything else it will be CloudxAeris (Cleris) 


End file.
